The northern mountains burned gold beneath the night sky.

Storm clouds had vanished completely.

Snow evaporated before touching the ground. Frozen cliffs glowed red from overwhelming heat. Entire mountain ridges cracked apart beneath the pressure radiating from Aurethar’s legendary form.

At the center of the burning sky, Aurethar descended toward Kieran Wolfblade like divine destruction itself.

Golden mana surrounded the dragon in massive waves while molten fire dripped from between enormous fangs.

His eyes no longer carried amusement.

Only Pure ancient draconic power.

Meanwhile Kieran stood atop a shattered cliff beneath him, black blade raised calmly despite the overwhelming pressure crushing the mountains around him.

The knight’s cloak had burned away partially during the previous exchanges while blood ran slowly from cuts across his face and arms.

Yet he still did not retreat.

The silver runes along his sword continued glowing brightly against the darkness.

Then the dragon attacked.

BOOOOOOM.

Aurethar crashed downward with enough force to collapse the entire mountain ridge beneath Kieran.

The knight vanished sideways instantly just before impact.

Too late.

Even avoiding the direct strike barely saved him.

The shockwave alone blasted Kieran through multiple frozen rock formations before he finally slammed into a cliffside hard enough to crater the stone.

Entire sections of mountain collapsed afterward.

Lucien narrowed his eyes from the neighboring ridge.

Because Aurethar was no longer testing his opponent.

Now the dragon intended crushing this creature completely which dared to challenge it.

Kieran pushed himself slowly from the broken cliffside while blood dripped from his forehead.

Several ribs were cracked. His left arm trembled slightly from the impact.

Still—

The knight raised the black sword again.

Aurethar landed atop the shattered ridge before him.

The dragon’s massive claws melted stone beneath their heat.

"You should surrender."

Kieran spat blood into the snow.

"You should learn humility."

The dragon actually thought about it for a good time what felt like eternity then answered

"That word doesn’t exist in draconic dictionary."

Then Kieran vanished again.

Silver mana exploded around the knight as he burst upward directly toward Aurethar’s throat.

"Moonfang Style." "Ninth Form."

The sword flashed.

A storm of silver slashes erupted across the dragon’s scales fast enough to carve glowing trails through the night itself.

CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.

Golden sparks exploded across the mountains while several scales shattered apart beneath the barrage.

Aurethar immediately countered.

The dragon’s tail slammed sideways through the storm like a collapsing fortress wall.

Kieran barely crossed his sword in time.

BOOOOM.

The knight was launched across the sky violently before crashing through another frozen ridge.

Snow avalanches thundered down mountains afterward.

Above the mountains, Kieran rose slowly from the rubble breathing harder now.

His sword arm shook slightly.

Aurethar noticed immediately.

"You’re slowing down."

The knight steadied his breathing.

"You’re still talking."

The dragon grinned.

"Of course." "Mocking opponents improves morale."

Then Aurethar suddenly spread his wings fully.

Golden flames spiraled outward across the sky while draconic mana gathered around him in enormous quantities.

Lucien’s eyes narrowed instantly.

Even he had never seen this technique personally before.

The air itself began vibrating.

The mountains trembled.

And slowly—

A massive golden magic circle appeared behind Aurethar across the sky.

Ancient runes rotated within it like burning suns.

Even malen’s face paled immediately.

"...What is that?"

Ironbreaker stared upward silently.

Even the dwarf looked disturbed now.

Aurethar’s voice echoed across the mountains.

"You survived my lesser techniques."

Golden fire gathered between the dragon’s jaws.

"So let’s correct that mistake."

The golden magic circle behind Aurethar expanded further until it covered nearly the entire sky above the battlefield.

The pressure alone forced snowstorms away from the region entirely.

Kieran’s expression finally sharpened seriously.

Because he recognized the technique.

An ancient draconic legendary art.

One rarely witnessed because almost nobody survived seeing it.

Aurethar’s eyes glowed like molten suns.

"Be honored, swordsman."

The fire between his jaws condensed into blinding gold.

"This is the technique that erased fortresses."

The mountains shook violently.

Then Aurethar unleashed it.

"Solar Cataclysm."

The world disappeared beneath gold.

A beam of condensed draconic destruction erupted downward from the sky like the wrath of a god.

Everything in its path vanished instantly.

Mountains melted. Stone vaporized. Entire cliff faces disappeared beneath overwhelming heat.

The attack crossed kilometers in seconds before engulfing Kieran completely.

The explosion illuminated the northern frontier brighter than daylight.

Far below—

Even coalition nobles watching from distant ridges felt their blood run cold.

Because no ordinary living thing should survive that attack.

The beam continued for several horrifying seconds before finally fading.

Smoke and molten rock covered the mountains afterward.

A massive section of the ridge no longer existed.

Only burning destruction remained.

Aurethar slowly descended afterward while heat distorted the air around him.

For several moments—

Silence filled the mountains.

Then Cedric quietly muttered:

"...He’s dead."

Even Lucien believed it likely.

No human should survive that.

Not even legendary knights.

Then movement appeared below.

Aurethar narrowed his eyes immediately.

Deep within the burning crater—

Kieran Wolfblade still stood.

The knight remained upright only because his sword supported him.

His armor had partially melted. One side of his body carried horrific burns. Blood covered the snow beneath him.

But somehow—

He still lived.

The dragon stared silently for several moments.

Then slowly laughed.

A deep rumbling laugh filled with genuine admiration.

"You absurd creature."

Kieran coughed violently before speaking.

"...You missed my heart."

Aurethar’s grin widened.

"Unfortunately."

The knight tried lifting his sword fully again.

His arm barely moved.

Aurethar noticed immediately.

Then the dragon slowly approached the crater.

Each massive step shook the broken mountainside beneath him.

Kieran forced himself upright despite the burns tearing across his body.

Still refusing surrender.

Still preparing to fight.

Aurethar stopped several meters away before lowering his enormous head slightly.

Then the dragon spoke calmly.

"You can’t win."

Kieran answered through bloodied teeth.

"I know."

"Yet you still stand."

"I was paid."

That answer made Aurethar laugh again.

"You humans are mentally damaged."

For several moments neither moved.

Then Aurethar suddenly glanced southward toward the distant coalition camps below.

Golden eyes narrowed slightly.

"...And honestly." "I’m beginning to dislike your employers more than you."

Kieran slowly lowered the sword slightly.

The dragon snorted smoke.

"They marched north with arrogance." "Mocked trenches." "Mocked rifles." "And now they’re feeding thousands of soldiers into kill zones."

Far below, artillery flashes illuminated the battlefield briefly.

Aurethar laughed again after seeing them.

"Oh look." "They’re probably reorganizing another terrible assault plan."

Kieran remained silent.

The dragon continued mockingly:

"Maybe this time they’ll charge machine guns with shields made from optimism."

Even Lucien nearly smiled hearing that.

Kieran finally spoke carefully.

"You’re not entering the battlefield."

Aurethar looked back toward him.

"No."

The knight narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Why?"

The dragon’s grin widened.

"Because watching them lose like this is entertaining."

Silence.

Then Aurethar added smugly:

"If I enter personally the war ends too quickly."

Kieran slowly exhaled afterward.

His body still trembled from the near-fatal attack.

Yet now the purpose of the contract had technically succeeded.

Aurethar remained away from the battlefield.

And strangely—

The dragon seemed willing continuing that arrangement.

Finally Kieran lowered the black sword fully.

"I’ll remain here then."

Aurethar tilted his head slightly.

"To stop me?"

"To make sure you don’t get bored and change your mind."

The dragon laughed deeply.

"That might be the smartest thing anyone in this war has said."

Hours later—

High above the battlefield, Aurethar continued watching the coalition army with endless disappointment.

The dragon rested atop a shattered mountain ridge while smoke drifted lazily from his nostrils into the freezing air.

Beside him, Kieran silently treated the burns across his arm with medicinal cloth while trying very hard to ignore the dragon.

Unfortunately—

Ignoring Aurethar was impossible.

Especially when the dragon found something funny.

And currently—

The southern coalition was extremely funny.

Far below, coalition engineers attempted reorganizing damaged artillery positions near the western ridges.

Supply wagons struggled through deep snow while officers screamed at exhausted infantry trying to reposition heavy shields uphill.

Aurethar watched silently for several moments.

Then slowly tilted his head.

"...Why are they placing artillery there?"

Kieran glanced downward briefly.

"Higher elevation."

The dragon snorted smoke.

"Yes." "Directly beneath the most obvious northern ridge imaginable."

Almost immediately afterward—

A northern artillery shell crashed into the position below.

BOOOOM.

Snow, wood, and soldiers exploded upward across the hillside.

Aurethar stared downward silently.

Then burst into deep roaring laughter.

"I KNEW IT."

The dragon slapped one claw against the mountain hard enough to crack stone beneath him.

"They practically painted a target for Lucien."

Kieran quietly wrapped another burn wound.

"You enjoy this too much."

Aurethar looked genuinely confused.

"How could I not?" "They marched an entire coalition army into mountain trenches." "That already suggests severe intellectual problems."

Hours later, another coalition scouting detachment attempted advancing through a narrow frozen valley west of the main battlefield.

The soldiers moved cautiously between cliffs while trying avoiding direct sightlines from northern trench positions.

Aurethar watched them carefully.

Then sighed dramatically.

"No." "No no no."

Kieran didn’t even bother asking anymore.

"What now?"

The dragon pointed downward with one massive claw.

"That valley funnels directly into overlapping rifle sectors."

The knight looked again.

"...You can tell from here?"

"I’m a dragon." "My eyesight is superior." "Also the coalition commander placed scouts into what is essentially a snowy execution corridor."

Three minutes later—

Rifle fire erupted from hidden northern positions.

The scouting formation immediately collapsed into chaos.

Several soldiers tried retreating only to discover the narrow valley trapped them together perfectly.

Aurethar groaned loudly.

"Oh gods." "They somehow made it worse."

The dragon leaned backward laughing while Kieran closed his eyes tiredly.

"I was paid by these people."

"That makes your life funnier."

Later that night, coalition engineers began constructing additional shield barricades near the frontlines.

Large reinforced steel walls were dragged slowly through snow toward forward assault sectors.

Aurethar watched quietly for several moments.

Then blinked.

"...Wait."

Kieran sighed.

"What now?"

The dragon sounded genuinely offended.

"They’re building stationary shields."

"...Yes?"

"In front of artillery coordinates Lucien already mapped."

Silence.

Then the dragon threw his head backward and roared with laughter so loudly snow avalanched from nearby cliffs.

"THEY’RE DIGGING THEIR OWN GRAVES IN FORMATION."

Even Kieran almost smiled slightly at that.

Almost with a smile that felt too ugly to be called one.

Another day passed.

The coalition continued preparing for larger assaults while Elarion reinforced trenches and artillery batteries across the northern lines.

And throughout all of it—

Aurethar provided commentary like a deeply judgmental god overlooking mortal stupidity.

At one point coalition cavalry attempted testing northern response times by advancing near exposed trench sectors.

The riders moved carefully through the snow while maintaining loose formation.

Aurethar narrowed his eyes.

"...Interesting."

Kieran looked toward him.

"They’re actually doing something intelligent?"

"Possibly."

The dragon leaned forward slightly.

"Ah." "There it is."

The cavalry commander suddenly ordered the formation tighter while advancing uphill.

Aurethar immediately buried his face beneath one massive claw.

"WHY." "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT."

Seconds later hidden northern artillery opened fire.

The first shell detonated directly among clustered cavalry.

Horses and riders scattered violently across the snow.

Another shell followed.

Then another.

The entire cavalry formation broke apart almost instantly.

Aurethar slowly lifted his head afterward.

"...Lucien doesn’t even need strategy anymore." "The coalition keeps volunteering for death creatively."

Kieran sat beside the fire silently sharpening his sword afterward.

Eventually he spoke calmly.

"You sound almost disappointed."

"I am disappointed."

The dragon sighed heavily.

"I expected ambition." "Competence." "Adaptation."

Aurethar gestured dramatically toward the battlefield below.

"Instead I received nobles repeatedly discovering artillery the hard way."

The knight looked toward the distant coalition camps.

Kieran glanced toward the dragon.

"Then why are you so confident?"

Aurethar slowly grinned.

"Because Lucien learns faster than they do."

The dragon’s eyes shifted toward the trenches below.

"simply because every failed assault improves Elarion."

Another explosion echoed across the valleys below.

A coalition ammunition wagon had apparently detonated accidentally during unloading.

Flames erupted upward while soldiers ran chaotically around the burning supplies.

Aurethar stared downward silently.

Then spoke in complete disbelief.

"...They exploded themselves."

Kieran watched quietly.

The dragon blinked again.

"They weren’t even under attack."

Several more secondary explosions erupted afterward.

Aurethar nearly fell over laughing. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"OH THIS WAR IS INCREDIBLE."

At another point, coalition infantry attempted constructing temporary snow fortifications directly within visible northern observation range.

The soldiers worked for nearly two hours dragging wood and shield plating into position.

Aurethar watched patiently.

Then slowly asked:

"Do they know Lucien can see them?"

Kieran shrugged.

"Apparently not."

The dragon stared downward.

"...Why would you build fortifications slowly in front of artillery observers?"

Silence.

Then northern cannons fired.

BOOOOM. BOOOOM. BOOOOM.

The unfinished fortifications disappeared beneath explosions instantly.

Aurethar’s laughter echoed across the mountains again.

"I refuse believing these people govern territory successfully."

Eventually even Kieran became mildly affected by the dragon’s constant mockery.

At one point another coalition officer attempted marching heavy infantry through partially frozen marsh terrain west of the ridges.

Kieran observed silently for several moments before speaking first.

"...That ground looks unstable."

Aurethar slowly turned toward him.

"...You’re learning."

Seconds later multiple soldiers sank knee-deep into freezing mud beneath collapsing ice.

The formation immediately stalled.

Then northern rifle fire opened from hidden trench sectors nearby.

Aurethar looked almost emotional afterward.

"You see?" "You’re adapting faster than coalition officers already."

Kieran deeply regretted participating in the conversation.

These are small advances which are happening all day around to occupy a better place as near as possible to mc soldiers. Thank you:)

I will soon update power levels and comparision too and for mc i will just keep telling you where he has reached because his power doesn’t matter till now.